Miscellaneous Hacks - NoSpam! - an alternative to CAPTCHA images

This hack is for vBulletin 3.6.x. For 3.5.x, please use the one provided in this thread. If you are using 3.7.x, you must use the one in this thread.

This simple hack is meant as a replacement for the default CAPTCHA system in vBulletin. There are two main reasons one might want to do this: firstly, new technology is constantly being developed to crack CAPTCHA images and make spam accounts anyway, and secondly, the more secure the CAPTCHA, the more difficult it is for genuine users to tell what the numbers in the image are. There is also the issue of visually impaired users, and the fact that not all servers are capable of generating CAPTCHA images.

So what does this hack do instead? It asks a question. Any question you want. That's the best part: YOU make up the questions, which means that every forum is unique, which means that it is impossible for spambots to be simply programmed to bypass it at all forums with the hack installed. You can make one or many questions - if you make many, the hack will pick one at random when a guest attempts to register, search, post or send mail through the Contact Us form. Their input is compared with your specified answer, and voil?, if they get it right they're pretty much guaranteed to be human. If they get it wrong, they're given an error message.

It doesn't have to be a complicated question. Heck, you can just make it "Please type 'blah' into this box." Or you can go with inserting a simple image with HTML and ask what is shown on the image. Or you can ask them to tell you two plus two. It's up to you. In fact, this can also be used as a means of forcing people to read the rules by asking for a certain password found there, or if your forum focuses on a specialized subject, ask a question concerning the subject that all your genuine users will be able to answer, but a random troll or "CAPTCHA-sweatshop-reader" will be scratching their head over.

It's simple to install, too: just one product to import, and that's it.


VERSION HISTORY:

3.0: Added functionality to allow users to specify which pages should use NoSpam!.
2.0: Extended the NoSpam! functionality to guest posts, guest searches and guest "Contact Us" in addition to registration.
1.1: Made template edit automatic (with thanks to Cole2026), added ability to have more than one answer to each question, and made answers case insensitive. To upgrade, I recommend undoing the template edit so you won't have to worry about it anymore (replace $nospamfield in the template register with $imagereg, or if you added $nospamfield above $imagereg, just remove $nospamfield altogether), and then reimport the product through the Admin CP (making sure that Allow Overwrite is set to On).
1.0: Initial release.


INSTALLATION:

Please download NoSpam!.zip, not product-nospam.xml, for the tested version. product.nospam.xml is NoSpam! 4.0 adapted blindly to 3.6, i.e. by editing the XML file for the 3.7 version without actually testing it on a 3.6 board. Theoretically it should work, but I cannot guarantee it at this time. If you download NoSpam!.zip and unzip it, it will contain another file called product.nospam.xml, which you should use.

1. Import product-nospam.xml through the Admin CP product manager.
2. Go to your vBulletin options in the Admin CP and select NoSpam! Settings. Once there, turn the system on and input your questions and answers according to the instructions there.

The system should now be functional and running.


UNINSTALLATION:

Just uninstall the product through the Admin CP.


SUPPORT:

Full support will be given here in this thread. All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you and please click "Mark as Installed" if you like it.


If NoSpam! is not working for you or you are looking for something a little different, you might want to check out Advanced Textual Confirmation.

[SloppyGoat]

I'm using this and the reCaptcha, and have had no spambots since. I'm running 3.8, and it seems to work fine.

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by csoroner

Your wright. My bad

I'm gonna keep looking for one that works. Just re-installed this one and it's borked!

bummer

If your on 3.8 then you should at least be using the 3.7 version of NoSpam!.

[csoroner]

Originally Posted by Digital Jedi

If your on 3.8 then you should at least be using the 3.7 version of NoSpam!.

For some reason I've tested both and it won't allow anyone to finish the registration process. I'm now using the built in version and so far no spam.

[Digital Jedi]

When you had NoSpam! installed, did you have the built in questions disabled?

[csoroner]

Yes I did? Could it be case sensitive?

[Digital Jedi]

Originally Posted by csoroner

Yes I did? Could it be case sensitive?

I don't think it's case sensitive, but you did have to include variations of words if you wanted those variations accepted. Plus you had to format them correctly in order for them to work.

[chompboard]

This worked perfectly for months and as of a couple days ago they are getting through in waves. I think they're on to us... Time for an update.

[stemmy]

Same happened to me - been great for months then last couple of days waves of spam accounts.

i assumed that the robots had got more clever and were able to understand simple questions like

2 + 2 =
and
Type XXXXX here

I initially just replaced the questions with ones very similar just different figures. Seemed to work for a couple of hours then they came again.

So I then replaced the questions with ones that didn't have the answer in them - like

how many fingers on one hand ....

what is the opposite of North ......

What is the talest mountain in the world .........

Since changing these all spam accounts have stopped. Dunno if its coincidence but I'm happy either way

[NexDog]

Cheers, good to know.

[Ev!L ErN!E]

Yes I seem to be getting waves os spam accounts alot the past couple of weeks, it would seem they have found a way around Nospam and Captcha